Chapter 10 | Nightmare Morning Kiss

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“Shiina… you… forced it on me…”

I was having a nightmare that day.

It was a dream about the time when Ria had forced me to do all the dishwashing at the cultural festival in my third year of middle school.

“…It’s not ending… it’s not ending… where did you go, Shiina…”

Faced with a mountain of dishes, I was in tears as I continued washing the dishes by myself until the sun went down.

Originally, Ria and I were supposed to split the work, but for some reason, Ria got angry all of a sudden, which led to me being left alone.

No… Ria didn’t get angry all of a sudden.

Later, I understood why Ria had been angry at that time.

Even back then, Ria already felt that way about me…

“To mumble the name of your ex-girlfriend in your sleep, you have quite the nerve, Shinse.”

…Huh? I can hear someone’s voice coming from somewhere…

Why do I feel like I’m in mortal danger right now…?

“While I was embracing you so tightly last night, it seems like your heart is still captured by a woman of the past.”

” !?”

The moment I felt a shiver down my spine, I opened my eyes with a start.

“Good morning, Shinse.”

When I opened my eyes, a girl wearing an apron with a smile on her face was straddling me.

The moment I saw the girl, I remembered everything.

“…It seems that you had a nice dream.”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah…”

At the girl’s cold voice, my teeth clattered together in fear.

That’s because I instantly understood what I had done.

I was dreaming and had mumbled my ex-girlfriend’s name in my sleep to my girlfriend, who I had started dating just yesterday.

Normally, she would definitely be in a bad mood.

And, considering her personality, Reina Futaba would definitely give me some sort of punishment.

“…Um, I was seeing an old memory in my dream…”

I said apologetically.

Straddled by Futaba, in a position where she was dominating me, I wasn’t in a situation where I could resist anything she would do.

I have to be careful not to make Futaba even angrier…

I have no idea what she might do to me right now.

She had a smile on her lips, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“What kind of memory?”

“About the cultural festival in my third year of middle school…”

“Hmm…”

Futaba made a face that looked like she was truly bored and looked away.

“While I was making breakfast for you, you were meeting up with your ex-girlfriend in your dream. Don’t you think that this is… truly regrettable?”

Futaba gestured for me to look to my side with her chin, and there was breakfast set on the desk next to the bed.

“…You’re right…”

People can’t choose what kind of dream they have.

In other words, it was a dream that I had out of my control, but that fact didn’t matter.

Why, out of all things, did I dream of Ria at such a bad time?

Perhaps it’s not Futaba who can’t read the room, but rather, my brain.

“Well, it’s fine. If I think that you’re not the kind of fickle person who would forget about your girlfriend just after yesterday, then this killing intent will fade a little.”

“K-Killing intent, you say…”

As I was trembling in fear, Futaba got off of me.

“…Eat quickly before it gets cold.”

“Eh…? You’re going to forgive me?”

“Of course I’m not going to forgive you?”

I slumped my shoulders when Futaba smiled at me.

⭐︎

After we finished eating breakfast in a very awkward atmosphere, Futaba started changing into her uniform in front of me.

“W-Wait… hide yourself!”

“You looked at my bare body so much yesterday, and now you’re getting embarrassed?”

“That’s…”

I wanted to explain that those were different situations, but it was probably no use.

I turned around so that I wouldn’t look directly at Futaba, but I could hear the sound of her underwear rubbing against each other.

“More than that, you need to go home to get your things, right? If you stay here any longer, you’ll be late for school.”

“No… I’m going to take a break today.”

I said while stifling a yawn. It seems like I’m a little sleep-deprived.

“Don’t tell me that the reason why you’re taking a break from school is because you don’t want to see Shiina-san, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right…”

Or rather, is there any other reason?

Ria and I are in the same class, and our seats are close.

After what happened yesterday, my stomach is hurting.

“That’s the other person’s fault for cheating, so you don’t need to worry about it. Rather, we should hold hands in front of Shiina-san to show off, just like what was done to you.”

I told Futaba what kind of situation I was in when I saw Ria cheating on me last night.

And how foolish I was to not realize that Ria’s changes were caused by the influence of another man.

“That’s a bit… if possible, I want to settle things amicably.”

I don’t know if there are any lingering feelings for me in Ria’s heart, but she definitely wouldn’t be indifferent to such an obvious act of provocation.

First of all, if someone were to see such a scene, then I might make every male student in our high school my enemy.

“It’s impossible to settle things amicably after being cheated on. If my lover cheated on me, then I would definitely kill them.”

Futaba turned a freezing gaze towards me.

If I cheated, then this person would probably really kill me.

“But, if you’re trying to settle things amicably after being cheated on, then unless Shiina-san resents you out of spite, then perhaps a peaceful solution is possible.”

Ria, who had cheated on me, resents me out of spite… is that even possible?

I have no idea what kind of situation would lead to that.

Or rather, if that happened, then I would be angry.

“So, are you going to take a break from school after all, Shinse?”

“Yeah.”

“With that, the gap between me, the top in the grade, and you, the second in the grade, is going to widen again, right, Shinse-san?”

“Ugh…”

In the last midterm exams, I finally had Futaba’s back in sight.

But, if I, who was still not as good as Futaba, take a day off, then the gap will widen again.

It’s the same with soccer.

Even if you get on the starting roster, you might lose your spot if you let your guard down.

In the competitive world, even a day of delay can be fatal.

But honestly, even if I went to school today, I don’t think that I’d be able to put my heart into my studies or club activities.

What in the world should I do…

“…Don’t make that face. From now on, I’ll be teaching you how to study, step by step…”

“…Eh?”

Futaba said bashfully to me, who was worrying about what to do.

“So, it’s fine to take a break for a day like this. You have the right to be selfish enough to rest slowly when you’re hurt after being betrayed by your lover.”

I was cheated on by Ria.

She was someone I had trusted more than anyone else.

There were friends who sympathized with me.

There were friends who comforted me.

But, Futaba was the one who stayed by my side to the end, and spent the night together with me, and soothed my loneliness with her warmth.

“…Thank you for staying by my side last night.”

“…Do you really appreciate me?”

Futaba made a dubious expression.

“I do, really.”

“…When that’s the case, I want you to show me through your actions, though?”

So saying, Futaba quietly closed her eyes.

“…I understand.”

I gently placed my lips on hers.

⭐︎

After getting ready, Futaba and I looked at each other at the doorway.

“So, Shinse, you’re going home, right?”

“Yeah, well…”

I don’t think Ria would take a break from school.

If Ria wants to see me, then she’ll definitely go to school, and if she doesn’t want to, then there’s no need for her to take a break from school.

So, I want to go home to change my clothes while Ria is at school.

Right now, I’m still wearing the clothes I borrowed from Sho and the underwear I received from Sora without changing.

“It’s fine if you stayed at my place the whole time, you know?”

“That’s not possible. My sister is at home.”

“Your sister… huh…”

Futaba muttered meaningfully.

It seems like she’s trying to meet my sister directly, which is a little unsettling.

“W-Well, then, let’s go together part of the way.”

“Ah, before that…”

“Is there anything wrong—!?”

“…’See you later’… okay?”

Futaba said bashfully. Her glossy lips looked exaggeratedly big to me.

“Futaba-san…”

I felt the urge to hug this devilishly cute girl.

My arms naturally extended and pulled her into an embrace.

She had a slender and delicate body, but her curves were all in the right places, and she was warm.

She smelled of jasmine, and her long black hair smelled good from the shampoo she used.

I felt happy, like I wanted to stay like this forever.

“…Hey, Shinse.”

“…What?”

“Can you stop calling me Futaba-san?”

“…Eh?”

Was there something wrong with calling her Futaba-san?

When I tilted my head, she smiled bashfully.

“If you’re the one calling me, then Reina is fine…”

She whispered quietly in my ear, and my face turned red.

She might laugh at me for being shy now, but it was too cute of a request.

“…Okay, Reina.”

“…Somehow, now that I’ve been called it, it makes me feel like you’re being cheeky, Shinse.”

“Eh!? You were the one who told me to call you that!?”

It’s too unreasonable.

“I was lying, it was a joke. …Now, let’s go.”

Reina smiled and then pulled away from me.

Reina’s profile, with her cheeks flushed red, was very beautiful.

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